(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roller hemming system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a panel hanger apparatus for roller hemming which may clamp parts and load the parts to a hemming die.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, after panels are manufactured through various press apparatus, the panels are then transmitted to a vehicle body factory at a first stage of a vehicle manufacturing process. The panels are assembled together so as to form a vehicle body of a body in white (B.I.W) shape.
After the panels of the vehicle body are formed to have a predetermined shape through various press apparatus by application of pressure, the panels are cut, drilled, bent, and/or curved through a variety of press processes such as trimming, piercing, flanging, hemming and so on.
In the roller hemming process, parts, which comprise an outer panel and an inner panel, are loaded on a hemming die by a robot hanger apparatus. The parts are then clamped by a clamper and are hemmed by a roller hemming apparatus.
However, in the conventional art, the robot hanger apparatus clamps the parts and the parts are loaded on the hemming die by a specific hanger. However, this results in a complex and relatively time consuming process because the clamping processes requires various steps such as positioning, fixing and etc. the parts on the hemming die.
Also, in the conventional art, as the parts move along the apparatus assembly line in the hemming process, the parts must be repeatedly clamped and un-clamped by the clamper. Thus, the entire system and roller hemming process is complex and time consuming. As a result, manufacturing costs of the parts is relatively high.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.